Warriors of Mari-Ur_The Reaping by Astra Lynne

Author:Astra Lynne [Lynne, Astra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-05-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

"Ho," Mattaki called out from just inside the door. Considering the possibility of what could be happening at the Hive, he thought it safer to announce his presence before following his father and brother into the lodge.

"Mattaki, come," his father, Joshur called from the great hall. Mattaki crossed the distance and had to admit his heart was happy to see his father and brother. He stopped a respectable distance and pounded his fist across his heart in salute, which his father then returned in kind. Joshur reached out and embraced his oldest child with the relief only a father could know. He had thought too many times the past several sun cycles of hearing Mattaki had fallen in battle. He would not, could not tolerate the thought of losing his son, either of his sons, in such a senseless battle. War had been his life at one time, now his every strategy and every move as High Commander were to maintain the tenuous peace Mari-Ur had for the past 5 centaleps. Joshur released his embrace and held Mattaki at arm’s length. "I have been worried, my son," Joshur admitted at last. "I am glad to find you are alive."

Mattaki, when he was finally released from Joshur's grasp, took his salute from his brother, Ninurta, and then embraced him warmly. "Brother," Ninurta smiled. It had been an entire centalep since Mattaki had seen his brother. Their paths had not crossed at the Academy during Ninurta's first cycle there. "You have grown bigger," Mattaki said, rustling Ninurta's close cropped hair.

"Soon I will be bigger than you, after all I am already smarter and better looking," Ninurta teased. The brothers embraced again, this time with fervor of the unspoken possibility of war passing between them. "My heart is glad to see you well, brother," Ninurta whispered through controlled emotion.

"There is much to discuss," Joshur interrupted, switching over to Commander mode.

"Yes, I am eager to hear what has happened at the Hive," Mattaki replied, motioning for everyone to sit at the table.

"Should you not retrieve your human female from the weapons silo first?" Joshur asked simply, allowing the revelation to hang between the three of them. A cold chill ran down Mattaki's spine and caused his Nacresscence to burn brightly. He did not like that his father already knew where Amelia was. While he did not doubt the abilities of the High Commander, knowing he had spied on them enough to know she was there troubled Mattaki greatly. If the High Commander knew, who else could know? On the one hand, he had been given an order by his father and his Commander, to refuse was treason, but on the other hand, he was pulled to protect Amelia at all costs. In that instant, he was willing to protect her with his life.

"Calm down Mattaki," Ninurta soothed, sensing Mattaki's agitation. "We mean her no harm." Ninurta's voice was careful and slow. Mattaki kept his eyes trained on his father. Neither warrior gave as much as a blink for the other.

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